DR. SEUSS GOES TO WAR
The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodore Seuss Geisel
Richard H. Minear
BIOGRAPHY OF DR. SEUSS
 Theodore Seuss Giesel
• Ted
 Born: March 2, 1904
• German American Family
BIOGRAPHY OF DR. SEUSS
 1925: Dartmouth College
• Cartoons in campus humor
magazine
 Use of alias on published
work
 Oxford University
 Work on advertising
campaigns
 Move to NY
• Begins to publish books
BIOGRAPHY OF DR. SEUSS
 Published over 40 children’s
books
 Famous titles:
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Green Eggs and Ham
The Cat in the Hat
Horton Hears a Who
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish,
Blue Fish
THE WORK OF DR. SEUSS
www.seussville.com
BIOGRAPHY OF DR. SEUSS
 Becomes interested in politics and American policies of
isolationism during WWII
 Also concerned about social issues (racial prejudice, antiSemitism, etc,)
 Produces editorial cartoons on political and social issues
BIOGRAPHY OF DR. SEUSS
 Personal Life
• Married twice
• No Children
 Died 1991
 Honors and Legacy
• Awards (Pulitzer Prize, etc.)
• Read Across America Day
• Inspiration for Television,
Film, Broadway
DR. SEUSS’ WWII
EDITORIAL CARTOONS
Format of Lesson:
Small group interaction to analyze one of Dr. Seuss’ editorial cartoons
Complete analysis sheet
Share with the rest of class
Model for How to Analyze
Car toons
Model for How to Analyze
Car toons
Level 1:
•Visuals:
•Little man standing on an
island surrounded by beasts
•Lollipops
•Swastikas
•Faces on beasts are mean,
sly, toothy
•Words:
•“Remember…One More
Lollypop, and Then You All
Go Home!”
•“The Appeaser” is used to
identify the small man
Model of How to Analyze
Car toons
Level 2
•Visuals:
•Swastikas are symbols to help identify
Nazi Germany
•The lollypops are symbolic of childlike
innocence
•Both signify the fact that the Allies are
naïve and seemingly unaware of the
danger that comes with appeasing Hitler
•Words:
•“One more lollypp and you all go
home” and “appeaser” are significant
because they reflect the thinking at
Munich. The Allies let Hitler have his
way.
•Naïve, unrealistic, foolish,
Model of How to Analyze
Car toons
Level 3
A. The “appeaser” is giving lollipops to
the beasts. He is giving them a treat.
They swarm around him with sly grins
and toothy faces, but he still thinks he
can control them.
B. The “appeaser” clarifies the childlike
innocence of the man as he deals with
the beast.
C. The cartoon sends the message that
appeasing Hitler is just going to cause
more problems. He will never have
enough.
D. Isolationists would disapprove of the
cartoon. Those supporting U.S.
involvement in WWII would support
the cartoon.